Henry County, Illinois

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Revision as of 18:53, 27 August 2011

Henry County, Illinois
Map
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded:	January 13, 1825
County Seat	Cambridge
Courthouse
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Illinois State Archives
Address	Henry County Courthouse 100 S. Main Cambridge, Illinois 61238 309-937-3481 Henry County Website

This Illinois-related article is a stub. You can help by expanding it. While this page is under construction, may we suggest Cyndi's List.

United States Illinois Henry County

County Organization

Henry County's civil records start the following years:

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Henry County are kept, see the Henry County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts

Henry County is named for Patrick Henry who was an orator and statesman of the Revolutionary War period.

Parent County

• 1825--Henry County was created 13 January 1825 from Fulton County.  County seat:Cambridge ^[1]

Boundary Changes

See an interactive map of Henry County boundary changes.

Record Loss

Places / Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

• Bureau
• Knox
• Mercer
• Rock Island
• Stark
• Whiteside

Records and Resources

Cemeteries

Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

• Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried.  Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.

• Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Henry County and links to the  information for the individuals buried there.

• Henry Co. IL USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks. 

• Illinois Cemeteries by county.

• The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Henry County.  Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.

• ePodunk list of Henry County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Census

Church Records

• 1857–1887 Gifford, B.R. Clergyman's private register. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980. FHL film 1290170 Item 2

Court Records

Copies of original records

• 1840–1927 Probate Record books FHL film 1688526 Item 1

• 1847–1872 Circuit Court Record IRAD–WIU
• 1849–1923 County court Minutes FHL first film 1255918 Item 1 (first of 15 films)
• 1857–1928 Circuit Court Case Files, Criminal IRAD–WIU
• 1872–1961 County Court Record, Criminal IRAD–WIU
• 1873–1963 Circuit Court Record, Criminal IRAD–WIU
• starting 1892 Index to probate records FHL film 1443453 Item 4 and 1443454
• 1915–1940 Circuit Court Record, Chancery IRAD–WIU

Ethnic Research

African American

The following have information concerning African American research.

• African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records

• Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
• African-American Resources for Illinois

Genealogy

Land and Property

Copies of original records

• 1818–1901 Deed records FHL first film 1434976 Items 3-4 (first of 66 films
• 1836–1903 Grantee index FHL first film 1434974 Items 2-5 (first of 3 films)
• 1840–1898 Grantor index FHL film 1434972 Item 1 (first of 2 films
• 1850 Taxable Lands Lists IRAD–WIU
• 1987 Land atlas and plat book Many libraries (WorldCat) FHL book 977.338 E7h

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Henry County land and property may be found in the FHLC and FHLC–maps. Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Local Histories

• The History of Henry County, Illinois: Its Tax-payers and Voters: Containing also a Biographical Directory, a Condensed History of the State, Map of the County, a Business Directory, an Abstract of Every-day Laws, War Record of Henry County, Officers of Societies, Lodges, etc., etc.. Chicago: H.F. Kett & Co., 1877. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive; Internet Archive.
  
• Kiner, Henry L. History of Henry County, Illinois. Chicago: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1910. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books; Internet Archive.
  
• Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Illinois: Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States: Also Containing a History of the County, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. Chicago: Biographical Pub. Co., 1885. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps

Military

General

• 1860–1975 Military Discharge Record Index IRAD–WIU

Civil War

• 1862–1865 Civil War bounty order registers IRAD–WIU

Civil War service men from Henry County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Henry County.

- 17th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.

- 19th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.

- 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.

- 37th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.

- 42nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and B.

- 57th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.

- 57th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and H.

- 65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment), Company D.

- 83rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.

Naturalization

Newspapers and Obituaries

Poor House Records

• 1903–1932 Blind Relief Application Record IRAD–WIU
• 1889–1902 Almshouse Registers IRAD–WIU

Probate Records

Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Henry County records. For information on how to use IRAD see theWIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Resources An unspecified number of Henry County probate records are available in Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970.

Copies of original records

• starting 1892 Index to probate records FHL film 1443453 Item 4 and 1443454
• 1840–1927 Probate Record books FHL film 1688526 Item 1
• 1851–1900 Probate Case Files IRAD–WIU
• 1852–1924 Will records and index FHL first film 1435961 Item 4(first of 9 films)
• 1856–1928 Guardian's records and index FHL first film 1435955 Item 2(first of 3 films)
• 1856–1930 Administrator's records {FHL|533470|item|disp=FHL first film 1435953 Item 1(first of 2 films)}}
• 1858–1923 Executor's records FHL film 1435957 Item 3 thru 1435958 Items 3)
• 1860–1926 Widow's relinquishments and selections FHL first film 1435959 (first of 2 films)
• 1907–1930 Conservator's bonds and letters FHL film 1435969 Item 3

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Henry County probates may be found in the Illinois, Henry – Probate topic page of the Family History Library catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Repositories

County Courthouse

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Henry County are kept, see the Henry County Courthouse page.

Family History Center

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois. Western Illinois University houses the records for Henry County.

Public Libraries

Social Groups Online

Societies

Taxation

• 1850 Taxable Lands Lists IRAD–WIU
• 1873 State Tax Refunding Record IRAD–WIU

Vital Records

See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Henry County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Henry County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

The website of the Henry County Clerk/Recorder explains how to order birth, marriage, civil union, and death records. Downloadable Vital Records Forms.

Births

Copies of Original Birth Records

• 1860–1915 Birth Record Index IRAD–WIU
• 1860–1900 Birth Certificates, Delayed IRAD–WIU
• 1877–1900 Birth Record IRAD–WIU
• 1877–1901 Register of Births FHL first film 1435939 Items 2-3 (first of 2 films)
• 1942–1975 Delayed birthsFHL first film 1255913 Item 2 (first of 5 films)
• Prior to 1916 Index to births FHL first film 1435939 Items 2-3 (first of 2 films)

Marriages

Copies of original Marriage Records

• 1837–1985 Marriage Record index IRAD–WIU
• 1837–1923 Index to Marriages and Marriage Records IRAD–WIU FHL first film 1435941 Item 1 (first of 12 films)
• 1867–1922 Marriage License Applications IRAD–WIU

Deaths

Copies of original Death Records

• Prior to 1916 Death index FHL film 1435940 Item 3 and book 977.338 V22ra
• 1877–1902, 1905 Register of deaths, v. 1 FHL film 1435940 Item 4
• 1870–1905 Coroner's Inquest Record IRAD–WIU
• 1877–1902 Death Record IRAD–WIU
• 1877–1915 Death Record Index IRAD–WIU

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Henry County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Henry – Vital Records and the Illinois, Henry – Vital Records - indexes topic page topic page of the Family History Library catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Web Sites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Family History Library Catalog
• Henry County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
  

References

1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 194. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.

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